Transfer device



Oct. 15, 1 946. z o p 2,409,400

TRANSFER DEVICE Filed Feb. 16 1945 5 sheets sheet 2 SHIP LIGHTER IN V ENTOR.

Oct. 15, 1946. A. e. TELFORD TRANSFER DEVI Filed Feb. 16, 1945 5Sheets-Sheet 3 A. G, TELFORD TRANSFER DEVICE in Feb. 16, 1945 HFJi-EI-IP" i iFE-E- -Ti I 5 Shook-Shut 4 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 15, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRANSFER DEVICEAndrew G. Telford, Aurora, Ill. Application February 16, 1945, SerialNo. 578,211

Claims.

invention relates to loading and unloading ships, and has for itsprincipal object to provide a transfer device that will span the spacebetween a wharf or a pier and the deck of a lighter or a ship, orbetween the deck of a lighter and a ship, and safely transfer cargoregardless of the relative movements between the vessels or between thewharf or pier and a vessel.

. Generally speaking, this is accomplished by a conveyor frame withlaterally spaced wheeled supports for one end (which may well be thelower end) and a single, centrally located bearingsupport for the otherend that Will allow more or less universal movement while making it fastto the selected spot on the deck of the ship or the like.

With the two supports resting on the deck of a lighter or the floor of awharf or pier and the single universal bearing support on the deck of aship, a great variety of relative movements is accommodated withoutdisturbing the operation of the conveyor or impairing the safety of thecargo.

The particular embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings anddescribed in detail in this specification was designed and builtexpressly for the United States Navy to handle standard palletedpackages of cargo, in accordance with the Navys system of supply.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the transfer device,

largely diagrammatic, illustrating it transferring palleted packages ofcargo from a lighter to a ship;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1; 7

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation corresponding to Fig. 1 andincluding some structural features purposely omitted from Fig. 1 in theinterest of clearness;

Figs. 4 and 5 are, respectively, side elevation and plan views of alength of chain used in the particular conveyor embodied in this specialdevice;

(Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the lower portion of the transfer devicewith a palleted package indicated in the position it assumes as theconveyor takes it from the deck of a lighter or the floor of a wharf orpier;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on the line |,--'l of Fig. 3;

Fig, 8 is a front View of the upper end of the device taken from theposition indicated byline 8-,-.8 'in Fig. 3;

Fig. -9 is a perspective view, largely diagrammatic, illustrating theNavyfs standard palleted cargo package;

Figs. 10, 11, and 12 are diagrams illustrating a few of the multitude ofrelative positions that may be taken by a lighter and a ship and thecorresponding accommodatin positions that may be taken by the transferdevice while in use in transferring cargo between the lighter and theship, or vice Versa.

But these specific illustrations and the corresponding specificdescription are intended for the purpose of disclosure only and shouldnot be interpreted as placing unnecessary limitations on the claims. l

General description- The Navys standard palleted cargo package,illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 9 and generally indicated by ID,includes a cubical container ii, four feet on the side, restin upon andattached to a lift truck pallet l2 equipped with rope slings 13 havingat the top thereof a fourinch bar I 4. The capacity of this package islimited to a maximum weight of 4,000 pounds, but may be almost anythingbetween that maximum and a relatively small, empty minimum, according towhat it contains.

Other special packages for a large caliber shell have similararrangements for cooperation with the lift trucks and include suitableslings and a bar I4.

Fig. 1 shows a familiar form of lift truck T taking a palleted packageI!) to the transfer device, generally indicated by l5, which is shownwith four palleted packages in various positions they assume while beingtransferred from the deck of the lighter Hi to the deck of the ship IT.

The frame The frame of the transfer device is of somewhat peculiarshape, best represented in Figs. 1 and 3,

appropriate to the particular scheme of palleted package handling and toafford the desired clearances within the transfer and between thepackages and the vessels and equipment thereon.

This particular frame includes spaced side plates (8 having outturnedflanges [9 at the top and bottom formed by welding strips on sheetspassageway for the accommodationof the endless chain conveyors and thepalleted cargo packages suspended from them, as generally indicated inFig. 1.

The spaced wheeled supports at the bottom of the frame are provided bylegs 23 fabricated from sheets welded together and to the side plates [8at the outer sides thereof in an arrangement best shown in Fig. 6, andthey terminate at the bottom in forks 24 to receive the supportingwheels 25 on axles 26. In this Fig. 6, it will also appear that thechannel 26 extends beyond the flanges [9 of the side plates to theremote edges of the plates forming the outer portions of the legs 23.The whole is welded together into one compact frame. From Figs. 1 and 3,it will appear that the legs 23 are at an angle to the main body of thetransfer frame, and in the position shown in those figures aresubstantially upright, whereas the body of the frame is generallyinclined from the lighter to the ship and curved over the deck of theship.

In Figs. 3 and particularly 8, it appears that the channels 22 extendbeyond the side plates l8 and their flanges l9 and are built into sideframeworks 21, from which and the adjacent side plates depend legs,generally indicated by 28 and formed of side posts 29 of structuralsection and braces 38 coming together at their lower ends and welded toa cross piece 3! shown in Fig, 3 as composed of three channels, twoindicated at 32, back to back, and the third at 33 forming a base forthe other two. In this figure are also shown braces 34 from the sideframes to the channels 33 and strengthening gussets 35 for the legswelded to the connected members.

In the middle of the channel 33, the ball member 36 of a universal jointis made fast between the flanges of the channel and also permanentlyattached to a cooperating socket member 37 having a base 33 to restupon, and, where appropriate, be secured to, the deck of the ship. Theball and socket are permanently attached for convenience in handling theentire transfer device as a unit without danger of loss of parts.

This particular .frame structure is only one of a great variety thatengineers will readily design and fabricators build from a great varietyof materials. This structure was designed on account of the use of steelplates and structural members that could be quickly and securely weldedtogether for quick production under existing conditions. Space frameworkof structural elements, welded tubing, and a variety of other thingswill be preferred by some under more convenient manufacturingconditions. They will offer less wind resistance and make the overallweight less. Aluminum and the other lighter metals offer a great deal ofadvantage when peacetime production permits their use.

The conveyors The conveyors are of the familiar chain type 40 (Figs. 4and with selected link pins 41' extended to form axles for carryingwheels 52 and some links replaced by or formed to carry the cargobearing hooks E3;

The path of the conveyors-throughthe transfer device is well illustratedin Figs. 1 and 3, and for convenience the top run has been selected forcarrying the load.

Tracks for the chainsare formed by steel plates plates welded inposition and spaced apart at 41 to provide passageways for the hooks 43.A headend drive, generally indicated by 48 in Figs, 1, 2, and 3, hasbeen illustrated as mounted. on the top framework generally built aroundthe channels 22, and that arrangement has certain advantages. However,there will be instances in which the drive, or portions of it, should benearer the lower end in order to get the center of gravity of the wholenearer to the supportin wheels 25. But these things are taken as amatter of selection and design for engineers.

The endless chain conveyors, including the cargo bearing hooks 43, wereselected as appropriate for use with the Navys standard palleted cargopackages, but when other things are to be handled the choice ofconveyors will be different and a great variety of familiar conveyorstructures will be at command. For handling bananas, for instance, thecharacteristic banana conveyors would be used. For bulk material, avariety of other conveyors could be used. Continuous platform conveyorswould be best suited for some things. The choice of the conveyor and thecharacteristics of the commodity to be handled will change the frame tocorrespond and vary the passageways to suit, and sometimes entirelyeliminate any such passageway as shown here.

The endless chain conveyors chosen for this embodiment may be providedwith a reversible drive and safety checks to prevent disaster in theevent packages containing high explosives should get out of control.

Operation In the normal operation, lift trucks T will bring the standardpackages into a position between the legs 23 and deposit them. Two menin suitable cages, protected from falling by guards and rails, will liftthe bar [4 of each package and rest it in hook-shaped brackets 50 (Fig.3), where it lies in the path of hooks 63 advancing with the chains. Inthis position, the sling is slightly slack. The hooks pick up the bar l4and with it the package, and the movement is indicated by the successivepositions shown in Fig. 1, in the last of which the package is about tobe deposited on the deck of the ship I! as the hooks pass to the returnrun of the conveyors. Lift trucks on the ship or other equipment willtake each package away as it is deposited. The operation goes on rapidlyand with such efliciency that the loading of a ship is frequentlyreduced from weeks to hours.

For production purposes, this standard form of construction and sizewill be most economical, but in order to provide some variation astraight section between the channels 2| in Fig. 3 may be madeexchangeable for a longer section. The form of conveyor used lendsitself to thisvariation as well as the frame construction.

In some applications a rocker may be used to replace the ball and socketjoint as indicated by the dotted line 51 in Fig. 8.

Accommodating relative movements In Fig. 10, portions of the lighter l6and ship l8 are shown with a diagram 52 of the threepoint supporttransfer device in a variety of positions. A assumes a movement of theship lengthwise relative to the lighter sufi'icient to take the singlepoint support 36 from the solid line position to either of the positionsshown in heavy and light dotted lines. The corresponding movement of thetwo wheels 25 on the lighter is indicated, respectively, in light andheavy dotted lines, as is also the framework of the transfer. Movement Bis a lateral separation of the ship and lighter, or a lateral approachof the ship and lighter. This is accommodated by the wheels 26 eitherrolling on the deck of the lighter or allowing the deck with the lighterto pass under them, as the case may be. Relative movement C assumesangular swinging of the ship and the lighter, each or both, which isaccommodated by corresponding rolling of the wheels 26 with respect tothe deck of the lighter.

Fig. 11 assumes a similar variety of crosswise rocking movements of theship and the barge represented by the letters D and E, and the chang ofrelative elevation due to unloading of the lighter is indicated by F.

Fig. 12 attempts in the variations G and H to indicate the relativemovement caused by lengthwise rocking of the ship and the lighter, whichcauses a peculiar turning movement of the transfer device on an axisthrough the single bearing with the supporting wheels 25 taking acircular motion.

These attempted illustrations are only a few of the multitude ofrelative movements that must be accommodated by the transfer devicewhile continually passing 4,000 pound loads between ship and lighter ata rapid rate in all sorts of weather. The attempted showing of movementsis faulty, as compared with photographs taken by the inventor, butwithin the limitations of line drawings they suggest some of theconditions with which the present device successfully copes.

Other embodiments of the general principles and organization to copewith other conditions will be readily made by engineers, and furtherillustration is omitted in the interest of simplicity and on account ofprevailing conditions. transfer device including some of thefundamentals and for operating between ships under way is the subject ofmy copending application, Serial No. 580,173, filed February 28, 1945.

Details for making these transfer devices reversible are not shownbecause they are things that engineers can and will supply as occasionarises.

I claim:

1. In a transfer device of the class described, a frame comprisinglaterally spaced side members connected together adjacent to their upperlengthwise edge portions only and forming a lengthwise passageway havingan open bottom between the lower lengthwise edge portions of saidmembers, a wheeled support for each of said members at one end portionof the frame, laterally spaced legs adjacent to the opposite ends of themembers, a universal bearing for supporting said legs, a flexibleendless conveyor element movable along each member, and hooks formed onsaid, elements adapted to engage the opposite ends of a bar supporting aload in the passageway.

2. In a transfer device of the class described,

a frame comprising laterally spaced side members connected togetheradjacent to their upper lengthwise edge portions only and forming alengthwise passageway having an open bottom between th lower lengthwiseedge portions of said members, a leg supporting each member adjacent toone end of the frame, a wheeled support for each leg, a leg supportingeach member adjacent to the other end of the frame, a universal bearingfor supporting the last named legs, a flexible endless conveyor elementmovable along each member, and hooks formed on said elements adapted toengage the opposite ends of a bar supporting a load in the passageway.

3. In a transfer device of the class described, a frame comprisinglaterally spaced side members connected together adjacent to their upperlengthwise edge portions only and forming a lengthwise passageway havingan open bottom between the lower lengthwise edge portions of saidmembers, tracks formed adjacent to the opposing inside surfaces of saidmembers, a wheeled support for each of said side members at one endportion of the frame, laterally spaced legs adjacent to the oppositeends of the members, a universal bearing for supporting said legs, aflexible endless conveyor element movable on each track, and hooksformed on said elements adapted to engage the opposite ends of a barsupporting a load in the passageway.

4. In a transfer device of the class described, a frame comprisinglaterally spaced side members connected together adjacent to their upperlengthwise edge portions only and forming a lengthwise passageway havingan open bottom between th lower lengthwise edge portions of the members,tracks formed adjacent to the opposing inside surfaces of said membersand having flanges above and below them, a wheeled support for each ofsaid members at one end portion of the frame, laterally spaced legsadjacent to the opposite ends of the members, a universal bearing forsupporting said legs, a flexible endless conveyor element movable oneach track, and hooks formed on said elements, projecting beyond saidflanges and adapted to engage the opposite ends of a bar supporting a.load in the passageway.

5. In a transfer device of the class described, a frame comprisinglaterally spaced side members each having one end portion curveddownwardly, means connecting the members together adjacent to theirupper lengthwise edge'portions only whereby the members form alengthwise passageway having an open bottom between the lower lengthwiseedge portions of the members, a wheeled support for each of the membersat one end portion of the frame, laterally spaced legs adjacent to theopposite ends of the members, a universal bearing for supporting saidlegs, a flexible endless conveyor element movable along each member, andhooks formed on said elements adapted to engage the opposite ends of abar supporting a load in the passageway.

ANDREW G. TELFORD.

